This invention relates to a porous part for refrigerators, which is used as a component for a compressor, refrigerant piping, or the like. This invention also relates to a refrigerator having a material (e.g., a porous part) used as a component for a compressor, refrigerant piping, or the like.
A sintered part as a porous part is inexpensive. However, because oils such as a processing oil, a form-rolling oil, a cutting oil and so on are used when processing the sintered part, these oils are contained in large quantities in the sintered part after the processing.
When this sintered part is used, for example, as a component for a compressor of a refrigerator, repetition of operation/stop conditions causes variations in the pressure in the interior of the compressor. As a result, the oils such as the processing oil exude from the sintered part. Among these oils, rust-preventive oils, which are liable to deteriorate a refrigerator oil in a refrigerator, have a problem of easily causing contamination and/or sludge which are a cause of clogging. For that reason, it is conceivable to wash the sintered part with a cleaning device before it is incorporated into the refrigerator as a component thereof. However, since this requires new capital investment, there is a problem in that the cost increases.
An object of the present invention is to provide a porous part which can be used as a component for refrigerators without causing contamination or sludge, and thus can realize a reduction in cost and a long-term reliability, and also provide a method for producing the same and a refrigerator.
In order to achieve the above object, a porous part for refrigerators of the present invention is characterized in that a refrigerator oil is contained in the part.
In the present invention, the refrigerator oil is contained in the porous part. Thus, even if the porous part is used as a component of a compressor and/or piping of a refrigerator, contamination and sludge, which is a cause of oil deterioration and/or clogging, is prevented from occurring. A cutting oil, a form-rolling oil and/or a processing oil is permitted to be contained in the refrigerator oil.
In one embodiment, at least one of an alkyl benzene type oil and an ether type oil is contained.
In this embodiment, since the alkyl benzene or ether type oil, contained in the porous part, has a specific gravity smaller than that of R32 refrigerant, the oil does not sink in the R32 refrigerant. Therefore, the porous part in this embodiment is suited as a component of a refrigerator in which R32 refrigerant is used.
In a method of producing a porous part for refrigerators according to another aspect of the present invention, a porous part is placed in a vacuum and then immersed in a refrigerator oil so that the refrigerator oil is contained in the porous part.
In this method, placing the porous part in a vacuum allows rust-preventive oil or any other oil which would cause contamination and sludge to discharge from inside of the porous part. After discharging such oils from the porous part, the porous part is immersed in the refrigerator oil. Thereby, the deterioration-inducing substances are replaced with the refrigerator oil, thus it is possible to produce a porous part which will not bring about contamination or sludge even if used as a component of refrigerators for a long time.
A refrigerator according to one embodiment has a material containing a refrigerator oil.
In the refrigerator, a part of a compressor and/or a refrigerant piping, for example, is made of this material. By thus doing, contamination and sludge, which are cause of oil deterioration and/or clogging, is prevented from occurrence. Cutting oil, form-rolling oil and/or processing oil may be contained in the refrigerator oil.
In another embodiment, the refrigerator uses a refrigerant that contains R32 refrigerant at 40 wt % or more.
In this embodiment, because the refrigerant contains R32 at at least 40 wt %, it is possible to achieve an improvement in COP (coefficient of performance) by R32 refrigerant having a high refrigerating capacity.
In one embodiment of the refrigerator, at least one of ether type oil, ester type oil and alkyl benzene type oil is contained in the above material as the refrigerator oil.
Ether type oils and ester type oils have compatibility with HFC type refrigerants, while alkyl benzene type oils have compatibility with the ether type oils and the ester type oils. These refrigerator oils do not cause contamination or sludge which is a cause of oil deterioration and/or clogging. With the refrigerator having a material impregnated with such oil, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of contamination and sludge.
In particular, since the alkyl benzene type oil and the ether type oil have respective specific gravities smaller than that of R32 refrigerant, they do not sink in R32 refrigerant. Therefore, the alkyl benzene type oil and the ether type oil are suited for the case where R32 refrigerant is used.
In another embodiment, the refrigerator uses at least one porous material as the material impregnated with the refrigerator oil.
In this embodiment, the porous material is adopted as the impregnated material, and thus it is possible to make the impregnation amount of the refrigerator oil large. This can improve a preventive effect of the occurrence of sludge and contamination.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.